Seven Weeks
by greysfan16
Summary: It's been seven weeks since that plane crash that changed everything...
1. Seven Weeks

**A/N Just something I was tossing around in my head.**

Seven Weeks

After losing the love of his life, there wasn't much that Mark Sloan was willing to stick around for. She was waiting for him on the other side of this life and he wanted nothing more than to join her, but he couldn't. There was a voice calling him back to earth. A voice he didn't recognize. A voice he wanted to ignore.

"Daddy, you have to come back. Mama needs you."

Mark had no idea who that was. Sophia couldn't talk in complete sentences yet and he hadn't heard from Sloane in about a year. Plus he doubted very much that Samantha Riley needed him for anything.

"Please Daddy." The voice begged.

Still Mark wanted to go towards that light that was often talked about when people recounted a near death experience. He didn't recognize the voice so he didn't understand why he was being forced to listen to it.

"Stay Daddy." That nameless, unknown voice was practically begging him.

Mark continued to ignore that voice. He closed his slate colored eyes and prayed for death. He prayed that he would be reunited with the love of his life. He prayed that death would come quickly for him. He couldn't imagine staying on this earth without Lexie by his side. He didn't want to stay on this earth if Lexie couldn't be by his side.

Mark wasn't sure how long it was before his eyes opened again. This time he wasn't seeing trees and pieces of airplane. He was seeing IV poles and heart monitors and hospital beds. He realized then, that they must have been found. That they were safe and healing. He blinked his eyes again and tried to move his hand.

"Wait, he's waking up." Came yet again another voice he didn't recognize. What was with these voices that he didn't recognize? Not recognizing voices was starting to really frustrate him.

"Mark? Mark, can you hear me?" came a second voice. Finally he recognized that voice. It was Meredith's voice. Where was Derek? Why wasn't he here?

"Mere…dith?"Mark mumbled. His throat ached and his chest hurt like hell.

"Yeah." Meredith confirmed.

"Where…Derek?" Mark asked, his voice at a whisper.

"He's in physical therapy." Meredith told Mark. She thought it best not to tell Mark exactly how long he had been out of it quite yet. At least she would be able to tell him that they had decided to wait on Lexie's funeral until after he had woken up.

"Dada!" Squealed a voice. A slow smile appeared on Mark's face. He may have still been out of it, but he did recognize that voice. It was Sophia. Then he realized something else. That voice. Sophia's voice had been the one begging him to stay on that fateful day. He blinked again and focused on Callie's face. She and Meredith appeared to have settled beside his bed. How long had he been out?

Sophia may have only been a one year old but she knew who the people she loved best were. She loved her Daddy and she had sensed the strain that this had caused between her mamas. She also knew that she hadn't seen her daddy in awhile. She held out her hands to Mark as Meredith slowly raised his bed to a sitting position. Callie put Sophia in Mark's lap, angling Sophia so that Mark's left arm, the least damaged out of everything, took the brunt of Sophia's weight.

"Hi baby girl." Mark whispered as he bent and kissed her head. He looked up at Callie and asked one simple word.

"Zona?"

Callie's eyes filled with tears as she remembered all that Mark had missed in the nearly two months that he was put in a medically induced coma.

"Paralysis." Callie whispered. Mark didn't understand how that could happen. She had certainly been able to feel her legs the last time he remembered. He looked between Meredith and Callie, wondering who would explain.

"Surgeons here botched her surgery. Left her paralyzed from the waist down." Meredith continued as she took Callie's hand and squeezed it. The two of them had grown very close since everything had gone down. They both had people who they loved and who had suffered serious injuries. Sophia tried to break the sadness by putting her small pudgy hand to Mark's cheek. Mark sighed contentedly when he felt his daughter's hand on his face. That sigh caused a sharp pain in his chest and he winced.

"Need more morphine?" Callie asked. She wanted to keep Mark as comfortable as possible. She didn't want him feeling any pain.

"No…Cristina?" Mark was determined to find out exactly how everyone else was.

"She's fine. Well physically at least. Psychologically she's a mess." Callie told Mark. He vaguely remembered popping Cristina's dislocated shoulder back into place before anyone realized how badly he was hurt. Mark didn't even want to bring up Lexie. Just the thought of her brought more pain and he was already in enough pain.

"How long…was I out?" Mark asked next. He was getting the feeling that he had been out for longer than a few days.

Meredith and Callie looked at each other. Neither one of them wanted to tell him how long he had been out for. They knew he wouldn't take it well and they were trying to avoid getting him upset in any way. Mark may have just woken up from a coma but he knew that Meredith and Callie were keeping something from him. Question was, what was it?

"Seven weeks." Callie finally whispered. Mark hadn't expected that. He knew that Derek's hand injury had been severe and for him to already be doing physical therapy, it had had to have been awhile since the crash, but seven weeks? Instead of saying anything, Mark tried to hold Sophia closer without causing him any more pain. Sophia smelled like baby and right now he was seeking comfort in that smell.

"She told me…told me I couldn't leave. Told me…that mama n-needed me." Mark whispered. He remembered Sophia's voice trying to pull him back to life that day. He had wanted to join Lexie so badly but Sophia wouldn't let him. Callie and Meredith looked at each other confusedly. They had no idea what Mark was babbling about. Sophia was sitting contentedly in her daddy's arms babbling away.

"Mama, Dada." Sophia babbled. Callie smiled sadly at her beautiful little girl sitting on Mark's lap. She didn't know all the heartache that they had been through in the past seven weeks. All she knew right now was that she was safe in daddy's arms. Callie envied her daughter.

"That night…I heard a voice. I couldn't figure out who it was. But now…now I know. It was Sophia. Telling me…Telling me to stay." Mark whispered. He wanted to hold his daughter tighter, but he knew that he needed to take it easy.

"Lexie…"Meredith started off in a croaky voice. Meredith still could barely say Lexie's voice without crying.

"Don't… I can't." Mark pleaded. He couldn't hear Lexie's name. He didn't want to talk about her. Not now. Maybe not ever.

"Okay." Meredith whispered. Just then Derek appeared in the room with an orderly pushing Arizona's wheelchair right behind him. Behind that orderly came Cristina. Mark suddenly felt overwhelmed. He wanted to hide from the world. Here in this room were the five others who had lived through that hell with him. Callie and Sophia were added bonuses.

"This is what I like to see." Derek commented as he walked into Mark's room.

"Someone is happy." Arizona pointed out as she looked at her daughter sitting happily on Mark's lap. Arizona was doing her best to stay positive and upbeat. Particularly around her daughter. This paralysis sucked but she reminded herself every day that it could have been much worse. She could be dead. Like…like Lexie. Arizona forced herself not to think of Lexie. She couldn't let herself think about Lexie.

"What…what happened to the pilot?" Mark asked. He suddenly recalled that there had been a seriously injured pilot on that day as well.

"Died." Cristina informed him matter-of-factly.

"Mark, you should rest. We'll stay if you want, but you should get some rest." Arizona told him. They had bonded that night. He may have been half dead and she may have been in more pain than anyone could imagine, but they had bonded together that night.

"Wait…the funeral?" Mark finally managed to ask. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop the flood of tears from coming, but he had to know.

"We didn't do it yet. Derek and I insisted that we wait for you." Meredith told Mark softly. Mark closed his eyes and leaned back on the pillow. He was relieved that they hadn't put Lexie in the ground yet. He still longed to crawl into that casket with her, but he knew that he needed to stay here on earth. For Sophia.

There wasn't anyone else he loved as much as Sophia. As badly as he hurt, he wouldn't make Sophia go through life fatherless. He owed it to Sophia to be the best father he could be. As he drifted back to sleep, he felt his daughter's feather light touch on his face again and he smiled. Sophia was his everything and he was so glad he was getting this chance to watch her grow up. As much as he missed Lexie, he was determined not to let his relationship with Sophia suffer.


	2. Four Weeks

**A/N Wow I had no idea that this would be so well received by my readers. Thank you so much for all the story alerts.**

Four Weeks

It had been a month since the crash and everything was all wrong. They were still in some hospital in Oregon because two of them were still unstable and the other three refused to leave the hospital until they could all go home together. Arizona had lost the use of her legs because of a botched surgery here in Oregon. Derek was starting physical therapy on a hand that had taken an eighteen hour surgery to fix and no one was sure yet if he would ever be able to return to surgery. Cristina had stayed in the psychiatric ward since the night they had arrived. She had shut down and she hadn't spoke a word to anyone in these past four weeks. And Mark, he had been in a medically induced coma for a month. Meredith was the least damaged out of everyone. A few head lacerations here and there that were all but healed.

When they had been found and SGMW notified, Callie had grabbed her baby and headed straight for the airport. No way was she going to allow Arizona to just sit in the strange hospital alone. And Mark, god Callie tried not to think about him. Tried not to think about the fact that he would not be getting his happily ever after with Lexie. She knew Mark was bad…really bad and she just hoped he could hold on until she got there. She really didn't think Arizona was that bad off. A leg fracture, okay they could deal with that. Callie remembered only bits and pieces of that plane ride. She remembered Sophia being so calm and babbling away even though it was way past her bedtime. It was as if she knew something was wrong.

On that day, Callie's word had changed. She remembered what she had told the residents and she realized that it was true. Life changes in an instant. Often without warning. Arizona had been in surgery when Callie and Sophia arrived in Oregon. She had handed the baby off to Meredith, giving Meredith something to do while Derek was in surgery. Mark was in surgery as well. Cristina…well Cristina was quiet. Too quiet and Callie insisted that she go get some rest. The next time she saw Cristina, she was in a room on the psychiatric floor.

Being the emergency contact for two people had its disadvantages as well as its advantages. Tonight in Oregon, Callie saw the disadvantage. Two surgeons came out to talk to her. One an Orthopedic surgeon and one a cardiothoracic surgeon. One for Arizona and one for Mark. Callie wasn't sure what she should do. Meredith stood next to her, knowing that Derek would want an update on Mark when he got out of surgery. Without a word, Meredith took on the Cardiothoraic surgeon so that Callie could hear how her wife was.

Now it was four weeks later and Arizona was still healing. Mark was still in a coma and Cristina was still in the psychiatric ward. Callie was exhausted. She had been going and going for weeks without much rest. Thankfully Mark, Arizona and Derek were sharing a room together. So Callie didn't have to go back and forth between Arizona's room and Mark's room. She was unspeakably greatful that God had spared her wife and spared the father of her daughter.

"I guess this means that we'll have to move huh?" Arizona murmured as she eyed the wheelchair that was next to her bed.

"The apartment complex does have an elevator." Callie pointed out.

"Yeah but the apartment itself isn't wheelchair accessible." Arizona murmured. She knew she should be greatful. After all her life was spared. That was more than could be said for Lexie.

"We'll make adjustments. We won't move unless we absolutely have to." Callie promised. It was convenient to have their apartment across the hall from Mark's apartment. It made for easier baby switching.

"How's Mark?" Arizona whispered. In the past she had completely detested the man. Hated him for the close friendship he shared with Callie. After that night, holding his head in her lap, Arizona found that she couldn't hate him anymore.

"He's…holding on." Callie told her. No one could know for sure how Mark would be when he was brought out of the coma. After flatlining twice on the OR table, no one could be sure how okay he would be until he woke up.

"Where's Sophia?" Arizona asked next. When she had awoken from surgery Callie and Sophia were right by her side. Callie didn't tell her about the botched surgery right away. She let a still drugged Arizona connect with Sophia for a few minutes before she dropped the bomb on her.

"Meredith took her to play with Zola. April and Jackson are here visiting .Everyone is in the courtyard…thing." Callie told Arizona quietly. April and Jackson had faithfully brought Zola up every weekend so that Meredith and Derek could see her and spend time with her.

"Derek?" Arizona asked. She knew he was in physical therapy already, something she couldn't wait to start. Just because she could no longer walk didn't mean that she didn't want to exercise.

"He's with Meredith, Zola, Sophia, Jackson and April." Callie told Arizona. Arizona was desperate to get out of this hospital bed. Desperate to get back home where everything was familiar. She was so sick of lying in bed, being told to rest and recover. She had been out at least once a day in her wheelchair but she craved the feel of the sun.

"Take me out." Arizona whispered. She needed to get out of this bed. There were only so many word searches and crossword puzzles she could do before she started to go stir crazy.

"I…I would have to get a nurse." Callie told her, stammering slightly. She knew that she could do it on her own but she didn't want to rush Arizona's recovery.

"Dammit Calliope, lift me out of this damn bed and put me into that chair." Arizona demanded as hot tears pooled in her blue eyes. She hated snapping at Callie and she hated that Callie had to do all this work. She hadn't signed up for taking care of her wife like this. Arizona wouldn't be surprised if she bolted after a few months.

"Okay." Callie whispered soothingly. She unhooked Arizona from her IV pole, leaving only the IV still stuck in her hand. Then she lifted the blond out of bed and placed her into the wheelchair. This was going to be her life from now on. So Callie figured that she ought to get used to it. Callie's hands grasped the push handles of the wheelchair and she guided it out of the room. She was stopped by a nurse who was coming in to check on Arizona.

"She can't go anywhere now. It's time for her medication." The snippy nurse told Callie.

"If my wife wants to go out and feel the sun on her face, then that's where we are going. She'll take the medication when we get back." Callie told the nurse firmly. The nurse seemed startled at Callie's firm tone, but instead of stopping Callie again, she moved aside and let Callie take Arizona outside.

When they went out into the courtyard, Arizona closed her eyes and soaked in the warm sun. She was thankful for so much. Thankful that she was alive and thankful that she was only in a wheelchair. Really the wheelchair wasn't that bad. It would just be an adjustment for everyone. Meredith, Derek, Sophia, Zola, Jackson and April converged on her and instead of being irritated about how smothering they were being, Arizona just soaked in the love that was surrounding her. These people were her family and she was greatful for them. Greatful for all they were doing and had done for her and Callie.


	3. One Week

**A/N I have had several people ask me to do a chapter focused on Meredith & Derek. Here it is and I hope you all enjoy it.**

One Week

Eighteen hours. That's how long Meredith Grey-Shepherd had had to wait for her husband to come out of surgery. That was easily the longest, most agonizing wait of her life. She had seen Arizona come out of surgery right about the same time Mark had come out of surgery. That was seven hours into this…torture. She was going crazy. She needed to know that he would be all right. That they were going to be able to save her husband's hand. She longed for some sort of comfort. Cristina was no help. She had shut down before they were even rescued and she had yet to say a word. Not to Meredith or anyone else. Callie was a comfort to her but when Arizona and Mark had come out of surgery, Callie had followed them to the room that they would be sharing.

Meredith was still holding Sophia and her arms were aching. When Arizona and Mark had come out of surgery, Callie had passed Sophia to Meredith. Nine hours later she was still holding the one year old. Thankfully Sophia had drifted off to sleep, but Meredith couldn't do the same. Finally Derek's surgeon was coming out to talk to her. His face was grim and Meredith's stomach lurched. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was told that Derek had come through the surgery fine and that they were able to save the hand. The rest…well the rest they would have to wait and see.

A week later, Derek was being weaned off the paralytics. The swelling had gone down by the third day of recovery but no one could say if Derek would ever have a fully functioning hand again. Meredith was sitting by his bed, ready to reassure him if he woke up and was disoriented which was what often happened when a patient was weaned from paralytics. His neurology team was in the room as well. Meredith had drawn the curtains around his bed so that Callie wouldn't be disturbed as she sat with her wife who was in the bed right next to Derek's bed.

Meredith was right, as soon as they weaned Derek off the paralytics, he began thrashing around. That wasn't good because he was still on the ventilator and he needed to calm down. The nurses looked desperately in her direction as Derek's eyes opened.

"Derek, I'm here. You have to calm down. You have the tube down your throat to help you breathe. Please try and calm down." Meredith told him soothingly. He blinked slowly at her and Meredith guessed that he understood what she was trying to tell him. Meredith looked up at the doctor and nodded. She was confirming the discussion that had gone on earlier that morning about whether or not to remove the ventilator. The doctor stepped forward and looked at Derek who was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Now Derek I need you to blow hard as I take this tube out okay?" the doctor told him. As if Derek hadn't given the same warning thousands of times before that day. Derek nodded very slowly in the direction of the doctor. The doctor untaped the ET tube that was connected to the ventilator and slowly pulled the tube out. Derek did as he was told and he couldn't help but cough hard as soon as the tube was out of his mouth. He was tired, but he was so happy to see Meredith.

"Hi." Derek whispered. His throat felt like it was on fire. As a doctor he knew that it was because of the fact he was on a ventilator for God knew how long. His voice didn't even sound like his voice. It sounded weird…kind of like a raspy whisper.

"Don't try to talk." Meredith warned him. It was good to see him awake, though he could barely keep his eyes open. Derek being awake was the best news that Meredith had had all week.

"M…Mark?" Derek remembered the last time he saw his best friend, Mark was clinging to life…or to death no one was quite sure which. Meredith was a little upset that he hadn't asked about her first. Derek could see that Meredith was fine. She wouldn't have been parked by his beside if she were gravely injured.

"He's pretty bad. Doctors put him in a medically induced coma so his body could rest." Meredith explained as she reached for his hand-the uninjured one.

"Arizona?" Was Derek's next question. He was making a point of asking after the ones he remembered being the most injured first.

"Botched surgery caused below the waist paralysis." Meredith told him quietly. Hearing that had been one of the first pieces of bad news that they would get in this hospital. Derek hated hearing all this bad news. He wanted so desperately to hear good news.

"How's Cristina?" Derek figured that Cristina was safe. She had suffered a dislocated shoulder but Mark had popped it back into place before he took a turn for the worst.

"She's in the psychiatric ward. She hasn't spoken a word since before we were rescued Derek. She's mute." Meredith told Derek. She missed her person. She needed Cristina right now. She had needed Cristina all week but she was too busy having some sort of breakdown upstairs in the psychiatric ward. Derek had never thought that Meredith would ever describe Cristina in that way. Cristina was not one to stay silent. Not for long anyway and the fact of the matter was, Cristina had stayed silent for a week. Who knew how long this could go on. She could be shut down for weeks…even months.

Meredith longed to raise his bed to a sitting position and crawl into his lap and hide from the world. She missed her sister horribly and she couldn't believe that she was expected to continue on in the world without her sister. Without Alexandra Caroline Grey. Having Derek awake and talking helped her immensely but she knew Derek still had questions. Questions that couldn't be answered yet.

"My hand?" Derek asked as he looked down at his hand. He barely recognized it. It was encased in bandages and casting material.

"We're not sure how much functionality you'll get back." Meredith told him honestly. That felt like a swift kick to the stomach for Derek. There was no guarantee that he would be able to perform surgeries anymore. He wasn't sure who he was if he wasn't a surgeon. A husband and father were given things but he needed his career. He had only ever dreamed of being the best surgeon in the world.

The only person who was left in their little curtained off area besides the two of them was the head neurosurgeon. Derek didn't like that it was someone he had never heard of before. A Dr. Martin Spurrier. Derek was convinced that this guy didn't know a nerve from an artery. He didn't trust this guy as far as he could throw.

"Well I'll check in on you later Derek. Try and get some rest. Rest your throat. I know it's hard and you have a million questions but they can wait." Dr. Spurrier reminded Derek before he stepped out of the room.

Meredith was biting her lip after the doctor left. She seemed to be holding in tears and Derek's heart ached for her. He knew how it felt to lose someone you loved.

"Come here." Derek told her as he slid over a little bit to make room for her slim frame in his bed.

"I don't want to hurt you." Meredith protested. She wanted nothing more than to lay in Derek's arms but she didn't want to hurt him either.

"I don't care." Derek told her as he flashed one of those smiles. Those McDreamy smiles that were only aimed at Meredith. Tentatively, Meredith got into bed, beside Derek. She rested her head on his shoulder and curled up her fists into balls and cried into Derek's hospital gown.

"It's not fair. She wasn't even thirty yet." Meredith whispered.

"I'm so sorry Meredith. I wish this hadn't happened. I wish more than anything that I could bring her back to you." Derek whispered. He was growing tired but he sensed that Meredith needed to get this out. His heart broke when he heard Meredith cry. He wished more than anything that he could take away the reasons for those tears.

"She didn't get to get married or have kids. She was robbed of those things by that goddamned plane." Meredith whispered as soft sobs wracked her small frame. Derek encircled her tiny waist with his arm. He held her close as Meredith wept for her sister. Wept for her husband and wept for the other lives that were changed on that day.


	4. Five Weeks

**A/N Someone wanted me to do a chapter for the Twisted Sisters. So I did. Hope you like it.**

Five Weeks

Meredith still couldn't understand why Cristina wasn't taking. She didn't get why Cristina had shut down. If Meredith was placing bets on who would be the one to shut down, she would never have guessed it would be Cristina. Derek was healing well and that allowed Meredith to spend more time with Cristina. She knew Callie came up here to visit Cristina but she also knew that once Mark woke up, Callie wouldn't come upstairs as often as she was doing now. Meredith needed her person to snap out of this mutinism. She needed to be able to have an actual conversation with Cristina. Meredith was losing it too and she was finding it hard to dump everything on Derek given all the work he was going to have to put in, in order to be able to return to surgery.

"Cristina, Cristina I know you can talk. Just please for the love of God say something. Say anything. Seeing as we really don't have access to the best ENT on the West Coast right now, you can't have anything wrong with your throat…or ears or nose." Meredith was starting to hate talking to herself and she wasn't lying about her insistence that Cristina couldn't have anything wrong with her ears, nose or her throat. With Mark in that damn medically induced coma, they would have to settle for a second rate ENT and Meredith knew that Cristina would not be okay with that. Still Cristina did not speak. Cristina was curled up on the bed across from the chair that Meredith was sitting in and she was rocking herself slowly and steadily. Meredith hoped that she was getting some comfort by the gentle self-rocking.

Meredith could only talk to herself for so long before she would start thinking that she was going crazy. She stood up and walked over to Cristina's bed and sat down beside the still rocking Cristina. She had to believe that the Cristina she knew was still in there or she'd go crazy. This wasn't Cristina. This was someone new. Someone Meredith wasn't sure she liked very much. The silence was making her uneasy.

"Derek's healing well but we still don't know if he'll ever be able to return to surgery again. Arizona's a mess, but she too is healing. It's going to be an adjustment for her. She's going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Not even because of the accident but because of the botched surgery." Meredith told Cristina. She wasn't even sure if Cristina was listening to her but she was hoping that she was so that Meredith didn't have to repeat herself.

"Owen." Came a soft whisper. Meredith looked at Cristina who had stopped rocking. She wasn't sure if it was Cristina who had spoken, but she hoped it was. Meredith couldn't even tell what she had said because she had spoken so softly.

"Did you say something?" Meredith asked as she looked at the other Twisted Sister. Cristina slowly nodded in Meredith's direction.

"I want Owen." Cristina spoke a little louder this time. Meredith nodded again as tears filled her eyes. Her person had spoken. Nothing was wrong with her voice. She was talking again. Her voice didn't sound normal, but Meredith knew that was due to her not talking for over a month. She couldn't believe that Cristina's first words were about Owen, the man who had cheated on her. Meredith had been in the other woman's position before but this was different. Cristina was her friend…her person and the idea that Cristina could forgive Owen for cheating on her was just mind boggling.

"I'll call him. I'll get him here." Meredith whispered as she reached for Cristina's hand. Cristina took it and Meredith was struck by how cold her hands felt. If Cristina wanted Owen here, Meredith would get him here. Anything to get Cristina to keep talking.

"Thank you." Cristina whispered. Cristina knew that Meredith didn't understand the request but Cristina didn't care. As long as Meredith got Owen here, that was all that mattered. For some reason she still loved Owen. Despite everything he had put her through, she wasn't ready to just throw in the towel on their relationship. Comforted by Meredith's promise, she closed her eyes, her hand still holding Meredith's hand.

Once Meredith knew that Cristina was asleep, Meredith slipped out of the room and made her way downstairs. She was going to call Owen and make sure he got on the next available plane to Oregon. When she reached the hospital lobby, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Somehow it had survived the crash, but of course they had had no cell phone reception when they were in the woods in the middle of nowhere. Her fingers were trembling as she dialed Owen's number. She hoped he wasn't busy. She hoped that he was near his phone. Meredith didn't want to have to explain to Cristina that she couldn't get ahold of Owen. Finally after what seemed like a hundred rings, the phone was picked up by Owen.

"Owen, its Meredith." Meredith said into the phone.

"Meredith? How is Cristina?" Owen had been worried about her the entire five weeks. He hadn't come to see her only because he wasn't sure if she wanted to see him. He didn't want to wreck her recovery.

"She spoke Owen. She's asking for you." Meredith told him quietly. She still could hardly believe that Cristina had spoken. She had never been happier to hear Owen's name come out of Cristina's mouth than she had been at that very moment.

Owen couldn't believe that Cristina's first words in five weeks were about him. He guessed that Meredith wasn't all that happy either, but he gave her credit for not saying so. Owen didn't think that Cristina would ever want to see him or hear from him again. He was sure that was why she was planning on going to Mayo to claim the spot that they were holding for her.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Let me shuffle a few things around and then I'll grab the next flight to Oregon." Owen promised Meredith. Meredith heaved a big sigh of relief. She was feeling so much relief that Owen was making plans to come to Oregon as soon as he could. As much as she didn't trust him right now, Cristina wanted him with her and Meredith wanted Cristina to feel better…happier.

"Tell her I'm coming Meredith." Owen told her seriously.

"I will. Thank you. I know she'll be happy to see you." Meredith murmured into the phone. She could hear papers being shifted and keys being hit on what sounded like a computer keyboard. She guessed he was looking up flights out of Seattle and heading into Oregon.

"She's my wife and she's asking for me." Owen commented quietly. All he needed to know was that Cristina wanted him there. Had specifically asked for him to come and he was going to move heaven and earth to be able to be there as soon as possible.

"She's…She's not the same Owen." Meredith told him hesitantly.

"I know. I'll do whatever I can to help her through this." Owen reassured Meredith. He hoped that the Cristina he had fallen in love with was still in there somewhere. Meredith heard more keyboard typing and a sigh escape from the other end of the phone.

"I fly into Oregon five hours from now. From there it's a forty-five minute drive to the hospital." Owen told Meredith. Meredith breathed a big sigh of relief. Owen would be here soon. Thank God for that.

"See you then." Meredith told him. They exchanged good-byes and then they both hung up. Meredith decided to go let Derek and the others know that Owen was coming. Then she would return to Cristina and wait with her until Owen arrived.


	5. Six Weeks

**A/N Here is the Crowen that so many of you have been waiting for.**

Six Weeks

Years from now Owen Hunt would only remember a few things about the weeks following the devastating plane crash. He would only remember how he felt when Meredith called him five weeks into Cristina's recovery. He wouldn't remember the five hour plane ride or the forty-five minute drive to the hospital. He would also remember how she looked the first time he laid eyes on her. His wife was an amazing woman. Stronger than he ever imagined she could be. Yet when he saw her, he saw pain. He saw fear and he saw sadness. All feelings that knew Cristina had worked hard not to feel.

He wasn't sure if she would voluntarily talk to him. So he sat beside her without saying a word. He was going to let her set the pace. If she wanted to talk, then great. If not, then that was okay too.

"Lexie died." Cristina whispered. She still could hardly believe that one of her residents and Meredith's sister was dead. Lexie was a special woman and doctor and Cristina found herself feeling things that she worked so hard not to feel.

"Yeah she did." Owen confirmed quietly. He wasn't all that close to Lexie but he knew that Lexie was important to many of those people in his hospital.

"I don't…I don't know what to feel." Cristina admitted quietly. She knew that it was okay to feel sadness or anger or shock. She didn't think it was okay to feel it more than Meredith or Mark did. Those two had loved Lexie fiercely. Cristina had barely tolerated her.

"Cristina, that's okay. No one thinks you need to feel a certain way." Owen reassured her softly. He was surprised when Cristina's head found his shoulder. She rarely ever sought out affection like that.

"I need to get out of here. People keep dying here and I can't deal with it anymore." Cristina admitted. She vaguely remembered saying that she needed to get the hell out of Seattle and away from Seattle Grace Mercy Death when they were still stuck in the heavily wooded area in which the plane had gown down in.

"Okay, if that's what you want. I'll resign from the Chief of Surgery position at the hospital and I'll come with you to Mayo." Owen told her quietly. He knew that finding a job for him at Mayo would be difficult but if this was what Cristina wanted, he'd be dammed if she went to Mayo without him. Teddy's last words to him before she left was that he needed to fight for her. Owen was more than prepared to do exactly that. Cristina was surprised that Owen was so willing to resign from his prestigious position at Seattle Grace-Mercy West and come with her. Especially since she knew that getting a job at Mayo would be difficult for him. She wanted him to come but only if he wouldn't resent her for taking him away from a sure thing in Seattle to an uncertain thing in Minnesota.

"But…" Cristina whispered. She wasn't used to this feeling. Being with Owen and feeling his love for her was something that Cristina never thought she would need so desperately. She knew Meredith could never understand how she could forgive Owen for cheating. A part of Cristina didn't understand it either. All she knew was that she loved Owen.

They were two damaged souls. Him from Iraq and her from many, much smaller things: Her father's death, her mother's remarriage, her relationship with Colin Marlowe, her relationship with Burke. Those were only in her personal life. She also had the memories of doing heart surgery on her person's husband just two years ago. And now? Now she had been in a plane crash that had killed one of the best fourth year residents she had ever known.

"But nothing. I love you Cristina. I'll go to Mayo with you if that's what you want." Owen told her. He knew that there was still a possibility that she would say no in order to protect herself and after everything that Owen had put her through during their nearly two year marriage, he wouldn't be surprised if she refused him.

"Okay…Let's go to Mayo." Cristina whispered. She couldn't believe that they were going to do this. As much as she said that she needed to get out of here, the thought of leaving her person who had been there for her so much in the past five years was beyond terrifying for her.

Owen was her husband, but Meredith was her best friend. Logically she knew that her husband should have been her person and she knew that Meredith's person should have been Derek. But that's not how the arrangement worked. She knew that both men didn't understand it, but they didn't need to.

"Good, I'll turn in my resignation the board when I return to Seattle." Owen told her. Cristina nodded slowly as she reached for his hand. Owen was surprised once again. Cristina wasn't one to show affection that much. Even to him, which sometimes bothered him, though he never let it show.

"I'm sorry." Cristina whispered. Her apology was for so many things that had gone on in their marriage. They had discussed the fact that Cristina didn't want children but then she was careless with her birth control. The abortion had not been an easy decision to make even if it had seemed like that to others. If she had decided to have it, she would have been significantly pregnant at this time. The baby probably wouldn't have survived the crash.

"I'm sorry too." Owen told her. He had things he needed to apologize for as well. Not so much the choking incident that had happened years ago, but for his recent infidelity. Being with that other woman was…it was different. He had been with Cristina so long that he had forgotten what it was like to be wanted by another woman. He had regretted it the moment it was over. He found himself praying that Cristina wouldn't find out. He should have known that, that prayer wasn't going to be answered. He didn't realize that he would be the one breaking the news to her though.

Cristina didn't want to think of that other woman. She had been through so much hell since that day six weeks ago, that the other woman didn't seem important anymore. Owen was here with her and that counted. That counted big time. Tentatively Owen put his arms around her and surprisingly Cristina let him. She felt safe in his arms despite everything that had gone on. In his arms was where she felt the most relaxed she had felt in the past six weeks.

"I love you." Cristina murmured softly. Whispering words of love was not something that Cristina was good at or even used to. She just remembered thinking on that day six weeks ago that she may never get to say those three words to Owen ever again. Now that he was here, holding her in his arms Cristina wanted to say it over and over again.

"I love you too Cristina. God I love you so much." Owen whispered back. He tried not to think of that day. He was still so angry at himself for having the calls held. Boise had called several times and by the time he had gotten to the many messages on his phone it was nightfall. He had worked round the clock to make sure that the people on that flight were found. When he heard that there had been a fatality, he remembered hoping and praying that Cristina was not the fatality. When they received the name of the deceased, Owen remembered breathing a sigh of relief. It wasn't Cristina. His Cristina was safe. He knew he was being selfish. He knew that Meredith and Mark would be devastated but just for a moment he allowed himself to feel relief that Cristina was alive.

"Can you hold me until I fall asleep?" Cristina whispered. That snapped Owen out of his trip down memory lane. Cristina was suddenly feeling tired and she knew that she would only sleep well if Owen was holding her.

"Yes, try and get some sleep. I'm right here." Owen whispered against her black hair. He held her as she quickly drifted off to sleep. He remembered what Meredith had said about Cristina being different and he couldn't help but disagree with her slightly. Yes Cristina was different but Owen wasn't sure if the change was a bad thing. She was being more affectionate than she had ever been before. She was seeking him out to comfort her. Maybe this was still the PTSD thing, something that Owen understood well. He wasn't quite sure yet. He was still worried about her and he hoped that the move to Minnesota would help her and them heal from this tragedy. Owen didn't sleep. He sat on the bed holding an obviously exhausted Cristina for a long time.


End file.
